What are the differences between open source BPM t

问题:

I was trying to find a free and open source BPM tool which is based on asp.net, but unfortunately i fail to find such a tool.

But recently I read an article about Windows Workflow Foundation, so does it provide functionality that are similar to open source BPM tools such as Activiti , bonita, Joget, etc. Or Windows Workflow Foundation can not be used to build as full business process workflow as in Activiti and other open source BPM tools.

回答1:

The first thing to remember is that WF is not a BPM tool - but rather a framework that can be leveraged to build a reliable and flexible set of business flows. If you are looking for a solution that provides you with a lot of built-in functionality where you won't have to do any coding but rather just put shapes on a sheet - WF is not your tool.

However, I would recommend WF highly. First, the performance in WF 4.0 is very good. Second, it's distributable across a farm of web servers. Third, it's flexibility gives you the power you will need down the road to reach those edge cases.

Finally, because you're looking to integrate with ASP.NET I'm going to say that WF is about the only feasible choice. I'm not saying that other options couldn't work, I'm just saying that it integrates well.

Another thing I want you to do is take a look at an answer I made recently about why you should or shouldn't use Windows Workflow Foundation - hopefully it's of value for you.

回答2:

I don't consider WF (Windows Workflow Foundation) a BPM tool and it does not provide functionality similar to the tools you listed. For example, there isn't a built-in management console or a built-in way to handle human tasks; you would have to build it yourself. (note: my experience is with WF 3.5)

I think it does have its place. If you were building a particularly complex, long running, service oriented application (e.g. something that needed to behave like a state machine), WF provides alternative way to implement such an application. However, to me it doesn't seem like a good fit for BPM, where you're trying to build a process that typically spans business units and applications.

回答3:

I am agree with the previous answers about WF is not a BPM tool. However it provides great flexibility about defining workflows. If you are working in a company that has a software development team with at least one lead developer that knows about the bpm business then it would be a good option to build your own bpm using the WF instead of buying a full bpm suite.

But you also need to implement some stuff like workflow assignments, pools, inboxes and outboxes etc.

If you either don't have your own IT team nor a developer who knows about bpm business then you might find it useful to buy or use a fully functioned bpm solution.

Workflow Foundation does not have features of a complete bpm tool, but helps you to build one. And also there are some products that were built over the WF.

回答4:

WF is not a substitute for BPM at all. WF It's time consuming. To design and implement workflows using a tool like Process Maker, Bonita Software and etc... is way easier than developing something similar using WF from scratch. It's the same thing of trying to reinvent the wheel. My BPM applications suggestion, ProcessMaker, Bonita and Joget. Besides, if your workflow is simple, the opensource edition of those tools will be enough to solve your problem and you'll not have to buy the enterprise edition.

回答5:

Forget about WF. That project has been dead for years. We're just waiting for Microsoft to finally have the burial.